Hell's Rollercoaster
by Eponizzle
Summary: When Matt Murdock's alter ego, Daredevil, is threatened, he must fight to save himself, all the while keeping the truth from his teenage daughter.
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
Matt Murdock was not the kind of man to be pre-occupied. Normally, every fiber of being was concentrating on either his career as a lawyer or his, "other job." But as he sat at his desk that morning, he found that for the first time in his life, there was no way he could even begin to concentrate on his many clients. With a sigh, he stood and walked out of his private office into the lobby of his law firm. Nancy, the new receptionist, looked up at Matt as he crossed the room and headed for the door. He made sure to keep looking straight ahead, trying not to even glance in her direction. He knew he was being silly, with his dark glasses on, there was no way she could see his eyes. He still felt better if he just looked straight ahead.  
  
"I'm taking the rest of the day off, Nancy," he said, and walked out into the streets before the young woman could answer.  
  
As usual, the sidewalks were crowded, what else could be expected in Manhattan? He blended easily into the crowd, even with his cane and sunglasses. Nobody noticed the blind man, no one ever noticed anyone but themselves.  
  
Well, one man noticed everything, one man looked out for everyone.  
  
Daredevil.  
  
But for once, Daredevil wasn't looking out for the common man, or fighting crime, or anything like usual. For once, all he wanted was to get home.  
  
***  
  
  
  
When Matt finally arrived at his downtown apartment, he had lost the sense of urgency to get out that he'd had in the office. But he was more than glad to be home.  
  
His wife, Julie was sitting on the couch indulging in her soaps when her husband walked in. "Matt!" she cried, sitting up in surprise, "What on earth are you doing here?" She slowly got up off the couch and waddled towards her husband, her large belly leading the way. "Why aren't you at work?"  
  
Matt moved forward and kissed his wife. They stood in the middle of the room embracing for a few moments, and then Matt broke the silence. "Well, honey, the baby is due today." he trailed off at the look Julie gave him.  
  
"Matt, darling, love-of-my-life, this baby is not coming today, trust me," she smiled at him and Matt couldn't help but feel like a little kid being scolded for skipping school.  
  
"Still, I wanted to be here," he gave his wife a soft kiss on the forehead, "in case anything happened," he finished.  
  
Julie sighed and stared into Matt's eyes. "Nothing is going to happen, Matt, why are you so worried?" she asked him suspiciously. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Daredevil, would it?"  
  
Matt was slightly miffed, "Don't you think I'd tell you if it was something like that?"  
  
Julie shrugged. "I don't know, maybe not."  
  
Matt looked at his wife intently, trying to make her let go of her preposterous-and horrifying-thoughts. "I would tell you, 'I'd never let anything like that slide."  
  
He could tell from the way she smiled at him that she still wasn't convinced. "Look, sweetie, the only person Kingpin's out to get is me, okay?"  
  
Julie laughed. "No, that's not okay! Do you think I want anyone "out to get" you? How could that possibly be "okay?!" she cried.  
  
Anxiously, Matt placed his hand on her shoulder, "Julie, sweetie, the baby, remember the baby."  
  
Julie calmed down and stared into her husband's eyes, worried. "I don't care if anyone's after me, Matt, I only care if someone's trying to get you, don't you understand that?"  
  
Matt kissed his wife's hand. "The only way anyone could ever get me would be to hurt you," he told her.  
  
The two embraced, and they stood for a long time in the living room, holding each other close. Finally, Julie spoke. "Matt, did you get permission to take the rest of the day off?"  
  
Nodding, Matt spoke, "Yep, sure did."  
  
Julie looped her arm through her husband's. "C'mon, let's go get a bite to eat."  
  
The two walked out of their apartment and down the steps into the streets. They felt safe among the crowded streets of New York, a feeling that wouldn't last much longer. 


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One  
  
  
  
Fifteen years later.  
  
Sara turned around a few times, studying herself in the mirror. She liked the skirt; it was just long enough not to be considered trashy, but short enough that it just screamed "SEXY!" She smiled. Yes, the skirt was a definite.  
  
It was July, and school would be starting up soon. Sara and her father had come to the incredibly trendy uptown store Mambo to get Sara her school clothes, and she was trying on her various choices. She called through the door of the dressing room to her father, "I'm getting this skirt, it's eighteen dollars!"  
  
Her dad didn't hesitate his response. "No you're not, it's too short."  
  
Miffed, Sara responded, "How would you know? You can't even see it?!"  
  
"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm deaf."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?! Are you telling me you can hear the length of the skirt?" she asked, grimacing.  
  
"No, but I can hear your vocal inflection, and no one should ever sound so excited about a skirt."  
  
Sara sighed and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wondered if her father really was blind. He had this uncanny way of telling weather the clothes she chose were too tight, or her friends were trashy, or if she was doing anything wrong. "Fiiine," she sighed. It wasn't worth arguing over.  
  
A small smile crept across her father's face. It was hard being a parent, but he loved every minute of it. Well, maybe not every minute, but pretty close to it. Yes, it was hard raising his daughter by himself; after his wife's death only four weeks after Sara's birth, he'd been alone in his child-rearing quests. He was doing a good job, though; a very good job for a blind man.  
  
Well, almost blind.  
  
But his daughter didn't know his secret; she didn't have a clue. She didn't even know about his childhood accident. And the only thing Sara'd even heard about Daredevil was what she saw in the paper or on the news. And as far as Matt was concerned, he hoped his daughter would never know.  
  
Continued. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
Sara picked up the phone the minute she walked in the door. She didn't even stop to check the answering machine. She punched the speed-dial button for her best friend's house, and silently prayed she'd be home. "C'mon, c'mon, pick up, pick up!" she chanted under her breath. Matt heard his daughter's quiet mantra and couldn't help smiling. She could be so funny sometimes.  
  
The phone rang, and rang, and rang, and with each ring Sara's heart fell. 'Please be home!' she half-thought, half-prayed. Just as Sara was about to hang up, the phone was answered by a familiar voice.  
  
"Roadkill Café, you kill 'em, we grill 'em! How may I help you?"  
  
Sara laughed, "I like it, Liz, that's a good one!"  
  
On the other end Liz giggled, "I know, isn't it? My brother gave it to me!"  
  
"Oh my gosh, you'll never guess what happened!"  
  
"What?" Liz asked, noting the extreme excitement in her best friend's voice.  
  
Sara cleared her throat. "Okay, well, today my dad and I went to Mambo to get me my school clothes--"  
  
"Ooh, Mambo! Tres chic!" Liz interrupted.  
  
"Yeah, but anyways, after I'd tried on, like, half the store and bought half of that, my dad said it was time to go, and I was like, 'Okay, whatever.' So, we were leaving the store and you will never guess who just happened to smash right into me, making me drop all my stuff all over the place!"  
  
"Tobey Maguire!" Liz shouted.  
  
Sara sighed in mock reverie, "If only."  
  
"Then who?" Liz squealed.  
  
"Okay, get ready for this," Sara cleared her throat in a very dramatic manner, "Peter Parker!"  
  
Liz gasped, "NO!!"  
  
"YES!!"  
  
The two girls screamed, and Matt, who stood nearby, cringed at the high- pitched noise.  
  
Liz began laughing triumphantly. "Yes, yes, yes!! He ran right into you?!?!"  
  
"Mmm-hmm!" Sara nodded, even though she knew there was no way her friend could see her, "And of course, since he's such a gentleman."  
  
"He stopped to help you pick up all your things, yes!!" Liz finished ecstatically.  
  
"And of course he had to talk to me while he helped me clean it all up."  
  
"Ooh, you have only been waiting for this since you were in the second grade! This is so exciting!"  
  
Sara laughed happily, "Tell me about it!"  
  
Matt listened ruefully to his daughter's end of the conversation. He hated thinking about her growing up, and dating was definitely a sign of growing up. He cleared his throat. "Sara, get off the phone, I need to talk to you," he told his daughter.  
  
Sara sighed. "Sorry, Liz, I have to go."  
  
"Okay, I'll talk to you later, bye" Liz responded brightly.  
  
"Bye."  
  
Sara set the receiver back in the carriage, and looked up at her father, "Yeah, dad?" she asked him.  
  
"Who is this 'Peter' guy?" he asked her suspiciously.  
  
"Oh," she said quietly, "just.a guy."  
  
"Hmmm, a guy, huh?" he said.  
  
"Yeaaaaah." Sara replied cautiously.  
  
"So, do you like this boy?"  
  
"Daaaaad--" she began to protest, but stopped at the look on her father's face. "Yes." Sara knew what was coming next, and she dreaded having to answer.  
  
"How old is this boy, what grade is he in?" Matt asked, fearing hearing the answer as mush as Sara feared giving it.  
  
"He's a senior," she answered in a voice barely above a whisper.  
  
Matt hadn't heard what she said. "What?"  
  
She cleared her throat and said a little too loudly, "A senior."  
  
For a moment, she thought her father was going to explode. "A SENIOR!??!" he asked incredulously. Matt didn't' want to even think about his baby girl dating a senior.  
  
"So?" Sara tried her best to sound innocent, but Matt wasn't having it.  
  
"There is no way in hell you are going to date a senior!" he told her emphatically.  
  
"Dad, he hasn't even asked me out--"  
  
"Well if he ever does, you tell him I said no!"  
  
"Dad! That's not being fair!" she yelled.  
  
"Don't you raise your voice at me, young lady!"  
  
Sara took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She'd never yelled at her father before, and she didn't want to start a pattern. "Dad," she started calmly, "Peter is going to be a senior this year, but that doesn't mean he's bad news." Matt grunted disbelievingly. Sara glared at him, partly because she knew he couldn't see her. "He's on the honor roll, a science whiz, and he's been a constant volunteer at the homeless shelter for three years!"  
  
"Have you been stalking this guy?" her dad asked her.  
  
"DAD!!" Sara cried.  
  
"Sorry, sorry. Listen Sara, you may like this guy, but I'm not ready to let you start dating yet--especially when a senior is concerned."  
  
Sara groaned. "Dad, he hasn't even asked me out or anything yet, don't go crazy."  
  
"I'm not, I just wanted to make sure we were clear on this subject," Matt stood up, "Now go put up all those new clothes." He grabbed his cane and climbed up the stairs.  
  
Sara sighed and fell back in her chair. She felt tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. Since the second grade, Sara had admired Peter from afar. From the first time she laid eyes on him, she was madly in love. There was a reason she'd never mentioned Peter to her dad, and that was because she knew he'd never understand. And now she knew she'd been right from the start. "Life is so unfair!" she said out loud, not even knowing who she was talking to.  
  
To Be Continued. 


End file.
